Bellaghy in line for major facelift ahead of Seamus Heaney Centre opening

Bellaghy bawn

Stanley Campbell

Published:14:50Monday 14 March 2016

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Mid Ulster Council is to give Bellaghy a £100,000 spruce-up ahead of the opening of the new £4m Seamus Heaney Centre.

The council’s development committee also agreed to carry out mobile phone infrastructure improvements, costing £20,000, by the autumn.

The environment improvements will include a general tidy-up, landscaping and street furniture in the south Derry village.

In addition improvements will be carried out to derelict buildings and gap sites.

Local businesses will also be painted and have their signage improved over the coming months.

Members heard that there is a particularly poor mobile phone coverage in the village with often no signal being received on devices.

Sinn Féin Councillor Caoimhe O’Neill said, “I was delighted to propose that £100,000 be made available to address issues in Bellaghy.

“With the opening of the Heaney Centre fast approaching, it was vital that funds be made available to go towards giving our village a ‘facelift.’

“This is something that I have been lobbying for for quite some time now. Following numerous liaisons with other statutory bodies it soon became clear that budgetary restrictions were a problem.

“I have a list of issues that need addressed in and around the village but lack of funding was a barrier to delivering much needed change. That is why I was delighted that this money became available.”